The 100

The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, is a book by Michael H. Hart. As the subtitle announces, the book consists of a list of historical figures ordered by Hart's opinion of their influence on the world. Each individual gets a short biography, usually about five pages long, that emphasizes the person's influence on the world and includes an explanation of why they are ranked where they are in the book. Because the list is based on influence, it is somewhat different than if it were based on greatness. For instance, Hitler gets in, but Gandhi doesn't (although he does get an honorable mention at the end of the book).

I like this book for a couple of reasons: first, it puts a lot of brief biographies in one place, and second, Hart's rankings and his reasons for them are fascinating, even if you don't agree with them. For instance, Hart lists Muhammad as the most influential person ever, because "he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels."